Airforces

http://www.airforcesmonthly.com #358 JANUARY 2018 // 71

Airforces

Intelligence

‘In association with ....’

Brazil has ambitious plans to

field the most powerful naval

aviation arm in Latin America.

However, as Santiago Rivas

discovers, fiscal woes mean

it is currently struggling with

programmes to introduce

new aircraft and systems and

modernise older equipment.

again operate fixed-wing aircraft.

The purchase also included spare

parts, 217 AIM-9H Sidewinders,

127mm rockets and 20 spare

Pratt & Whitney J52-P-408

engines. Brazil also purchased

reconnaissance cameras, AN/ALC-

29A chaff launchers and six Sargent

Fletcher buddy-refuelling packs.

The aircraft arrived in Brazil on

September 5, 1998 and were

assigned to 1º Esquadrão de

Interceptação e Ataque (VF-1, 1st

Interception and Attack Squadron).

In order to operate the new jets,

the runway at São Pedro da Aldeia

was extended from 1,800 to 2,400m

(5,905 to 7,874ft), and a new hangar

was built. After an overhaul, the

first AF-1 flew for the first time

on March 26, 2000 and tests on

Minas Gerais began in September

that year. A first deck landing was

achieved on January 13, 2001.

In the meantime, on July 30, 2000

the Marinha do Brasil announced

the purchase of the French aircraft

carrier Foch at a cost of $10.5m.

Together with the Foch, the French

also tried to sell Breguet Alizé

aircraft to Brazil, but the Marinha

was not interested. The ship,

renamed NAe (NAe, aircraft carrier)

São Paulo (A12), was transferred to

the Marinha do Brasil on November

15, 2000 and arrived on February

17 the following year, replacing

the Minas Gerais. First operations

on the new carrier took place in

March 2002, but the scope of the

carrier’s subsequent operations

was limited by the ship’s poor

A force facing

the future

Above: Bell 206B-3 – locally designated IH-6B – N-5041 during a training fl ight
from São Pedro da Aldeia. All new rotary-wing pilots perform their training on
the JetRanger before moving on to operational units, although a replacement
for the type is now under study. All photos Santiago Rivas unless otherwise stated

Left: In happier times, AF-1 N-1013

(c/n 14566) fl ies close to its home

base of São Pedro da Aldeia. The

decision to withdraw the navy’s only

aircraft carrier leaves a question

mark over the future of Brazilian

carrier-based aviation. Cees-Jan van

der Ende